Blender.io
Type of site | Cryptocurrency mixer |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| Dissolved | 2022 |
| Successor | Sinbad.io |
| Services | Cryptocurrency mixing |
| Launched | 2017 |
| Current status | Defunct |
Blender.io was a cryptocurrency mixer that was established in 2017.[1] In 2022, it was sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury for allegedly aiding the Lazarus Group, a hacking group associated with the government of North Korea.[1][2][3] The Treasury Department stated that this was the first sanction that they had imposed on a cryptocurrency mixer.[2]
The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control said Blender.io helped transmit over $500 million in bitcoin since 2017, when it had been created. The Treasury also said it had been involved in laundering $20.5 million in proceeds from the Lazarus Group's Axie Infinity cryptocurrency heist.[1] According to a 2025 press release by the US Justice Department, Blender.io operated until approximately 2022.[4]
According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control, Sinbad.io was a successor to Blender.io. Sinbad.io was sanctioned on November 29, 2023, also for being a "key money-laundering tool" of the Lazarus Group, and Sinbad.io servers were seized in the Netherlands and Finland.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Sun, Mengqi (2022-05-06). "U.S. Blacklists Mixer Used to Launder Proceeds from Axie Infinity Crypto Hack". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- ^ a b "U.S. Treasury Issues First-Ever Sanctions on a Virtual Currency Mixer, Targets DPRK Cyber Threats". U.S. Department of the Treasury. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- ^ Clark, Mitchell (2022-05-06). "US punishes Blender.io for helping North Korea launder millions in stolen Axie crypto". The Verge. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- ^ "Operators of Cryptocurrency Mixers Charged with Money Laundering". justice.gov. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ^ Ramachandran, Seetha (23 December 2023). "Don't Get Caught Up in the Mix: OFAC Sanctions Another Crypto Mixer for Potential Violations of Sanctions Regulations and FinCEN Proposes New Rule". natlawreview.com. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
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